Compressed gas cylinders and tanks are normally equipped with an access or control valve which regulates the flow of the compressed gas leaving the cylinder or tank. Conventionally, this access or control valve is axially connected to one end of the cylinder or tank at an access port. If the tank were to fall, get knocked over, or otherwise cause the valve to come into contact with an external force, the valve may be broken off, ruptured, or otherwise separated from the tank at the point of connection. The pressure of the uncontrolled gas venting from the tank as a result of such separations creates a great hazard.
For example, if the neck of a pressurized cylinder should be accidentally broken off, the energy released may be sufficient to propel the cylinder in the fashion of a torpedo or other projectile. It is estimated that a standard 250 cubic foot cylinder pressurized to 2,500 PSIG can become a rocket attaining a speed of over 30 miles per hour in a fraction of a second after venting from the broken cylinder connection. It is further estimated that an 80 cubic foot cylinder filled to 3000 psi (207 bar) has in excess of one million pounds of kinetic energy; power sufficient to blow apart brick walls, destroy vehicles, and injure or kill people.
In addition to the torpedo or projectile hazard, compressed gas cylinders are also known to topple over and laterally spin in circles when the control valve is ruptured from a tank. This presents an additional hazard as the spinning cylinder could potentially knock a standing person off his or her feet, and continue to barrage or forcefully contact that person causing grave injury. For example, a human user may accidentally knock over a compressed gas cylinder during use by accidentally pulling too hard on a gas tube connected to the control valve of the cylinder. While falling over, the compressed gas cylinder control valve may come into contact with a work bench or other external force, causing the valve to separate from the cylinder. At this point in time, the highly compressed gas will vent from the cylinder at a high pressure and rate, causing the cylinder to start spinning. Because these events can occur in a matter of seconds, the human user may not have the ability to react quickly enough to remove himself from the circular path of the cylinder's spinning. Thus, the user's feet could be taken out from underneath the user, causing the user to fall over and sustain injury. It is further possible that the user may fall into the path of the spinning cylinder and incur even more grievous injuries.
Many attempts have been noted which aim to solve the “torpedoing” and “spinning” issues mentioned above. However, to do so, the prior art attempts essentially utilize plugs to completely stop the venting of gas from the cylinder. The reality is that the “solution” proposed by the prior art actually produces an additional, novel problem by creating a plugged compressed gas cylinder which lacks a controllable valve to release the pressurized gas therein. A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a compressed gas cylinder without a controllable release valve is potentially a greater hazard than is the torpedoing cylinder and may even liken such a tank to a bomb, or bomb-in-waiting. The present invention seeks to address and provide a solution for all three of these issues.